THE AWARDS CEREMONY 2008

The Writers of the Future and Illustrators of the Future Contests are international in scope and short stories from the yearly winners selected from around the world are published in the annual Writers of the Future anthology.

Each anthology contains the best new science fiction and fantasy short stories from up-and-coming writers and every story is illustrated by budding new artists—all winners of the annual Illustrators of the Future Contest.

Established in 1983 by L. Ron Hubbard expressly for the aspiring writer, Writers of the Future has become the most respected and significant forum for new talent in all aspects of speculative fiction. The elite character of the contest is evident from the roster of judges: Kevin J. Anderson, Doug Beason, Gregory Benford, Algis Budrys, Orson Scott Card, Sean Williams, Brian Herbert, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Eric Kotani, Anne McCaffrey, Larry Niven, Frederik Pohl, Jerry Pournelle, Tim Powers, Robert Silverberg and K.D. Wentworth.

In 1988, Mr. Hubbard's vision inspired a contest for new and aspiring illustrators seeking to become speculative fiction artists. The list of judges for the illustrators' contest is no less impressive than that of the writers' contest and represents a virtual who's who of the field including Frank Frazetta, Vincent DiFate, Bob Eggleton, Stephen Hickman and Stephen Youll.

Since its inception, the contest has helped place more than two hundred and fifty novels and 2,500 short stories on bookshelves around the world. The Writers of the Future Award has also earned its place alongside the Hugo and Nebula awards in the triad of speculative fiction's most prestigious acknowledgements of literary excellence.

"A very generous legacy from L. Ron Hubbard—a fine, fine fiction writer—for the writers of the future." —Anne McCaffrey, Author

"Keep the Writers of the Future going. It's what keeps science fiction alive."
—Orson Scott Card, Author

"Writers of the Future is a terrific program for new writers. It has my heartiest support and recommendation." —Terry Brooks, Author

"Writers of the Future has a record of nurturing and discovering writers who have gone on to make their mark in the science fiction field. Long may it continue!"
—Neil Gaiman, Author